Head clamp



L. 1-1. MESKER HEAD CLAMP May 17, 1932,

Filed June 11, 1928 mi-mi WM 6 g Patented May 17, 1932 UNHTD STATESPATENT OFFECE.

LOU IS H. MESKER, OF SHAKER HEIGHTS, OHIO, ASSIG-NOR TO .TI-IE OLEVELANDPLANER COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO HEAD CLAMPApplication filed June 11,

This invention relates to an improved head clamp for clamping the toolslide on a planing machine in one solid mass.

The main object of the invention is to provide an improved head clampwhich effectively secures the several parts in adjusted position andwhich at the same time comprises comparatively few parts which may beadjusted with a minimum effort.

Another object of the invention is to provide a head clamp of thecharacter described which rigidly secures the tool in place in such amanner that it will be possible to take any out which the tool willstand and at the same time be especially accurate even for the heaviestcutting.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a head clamp whichlocks the slide in the most rigid manner without the necessity of anychange of slide adjustment.

Further objects of the invention will ap pear as the descriptionproceeds and by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1is a view in front elevation of my improved head clamp applied to thehead rail, Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 2--2 ofFig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2 andFig. 4 is a detail end View of one of the wedge blocks.

The objects of the invention hereinbefore referred to are accomplishedby the combinations and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter morefully described although it is to be understood that various changes maybe made in the details of construction and shape of the several partswithout departing from my invention and that I have illustrated only thepreferred embodiment of my invention.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, the reference character 1designates the head rail, which is preferably rectangular in shape andon which the rail head 2 is mounted. A pair of screws 3 and 4 extendlongitudinally of the head rail and serve to move the head in eitherdirection in a horizontal plane in a manner well known to those skilledin the art. Mounted on the rail head 2 is the tool slide 4 which carriesthe cutting 19%. Serial No. 284,517.

tool 5 which is secured in place in a manner also well known to thoseskilled inv the art. The mechanism thus far described forms no part ofthe present inventionexcept in so far as it cooperates with themechanism which will now be described.

The rail head 2 carriesa member 7 shaped in sect-ion as shown mostclearly in Fig. 2, the back portion of which is extended upwardly asshownin Fig. 1. The element 7 is generally referred to as the harp.Secured over the front of harp 7 is a movable block 8 generally termedthe head slide which is shaped in section as shown in Fig. 2. The harp 7is recessed at its central portion as shown in Fig.2 and the head slideis provided with a complementary recess, the purpose of which willhereinafter appear. For the purpose of identification theangularprojections on the face of the harp are designated by thereference character 9. The head slide 8 is provided 011 its right sideas seen in Fig. 2 with a longitudinally eX- tending angular recess 12which is slightly larger than the right hand projection 9 and extendsthe full length thereof. The head,

slide 8 is also provided with a somewhat annular opening or recess 13which is adapted to receive anannular block or gib 14, which ispreferably of brass and has one side tapered as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.The block 14 is provided with af threaded opening 15, adapted to receivea threaded pin 16 therein which projects through an opening in the block8 and is provided at its outer end with a handle 17. The outer end ofthe pin 16 is enlarged and is surrounded by a collar 18 againstwhioh thehandle 17 bears. Attention is particularly called to the angularityofthe projections 9 and to the fact that the right hand projection doesnot fill the recess 12 in the head slide. Inserted in this space is awedge 01" gib 19, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear.

The operation of the head clamp is as follows: The head is movedlaterally to the desired position on the rail by means of the screws 4'and 3, the tool Shaving been first secured in the tool slideatthedesired position.; The headslide 8 may then beadjusted verticallyby. means of the screw 6, the handle bearing surfaces which are adjacentthe edges 17 having first been loosened to permit this movement. Afterthe head slide has been set at the desired position, the handle 17 isturned clockwise as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. This turning movement of thehandle 17 tends to move the head slide 8 toward the harp 9 and due tothe angularity of the projections 9 the 7 head slide will also tend tomove toward the left as seen in Fig. 2 resulting in'a wedging actionbetween the right hand projection 9, the head slide 8 and gib 19 andalso resulting in a wedging action between the left hand projection 9,the head slide 8 and the block 14:. It will thus be seen that there is awedging action in two directions at right angles to each other whichserves to firmly antisecurely lock the parts in the adjusted position.It will also be clear that these partsare locked by a very simple andefficient mechanism and that the position of the head slide may bechanged without disturbing the adjustment of the tool in the tool slide.

It will now be clear that I have provided a head clamp which willaccomplish the objects of the invention as hereinbefore stated. Variouschanges may be made in the shape and arrangement of parts, as well asother details of construction, without departing from the'spirit of myinvention and I wish my invention to be limited only'in accordance withthe scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

In a device of the character described, a harp having'a centralgroovefor the reception' of a. tool adjusting screw, a pair of projections,one on each side of said groove adjacent the same, said projectionsextending longitudinally of said harp and having angular outer facesextending outwardly away from the'body of said harp, saidprojectionsbeing spaced from the edges of said harp to provide harp body bearingsurfaces, a head slide cooperating with said harp and being providedwith head slide projections adjacent the edges thereof, saidproj'ectlons having bearing faces adapted to cooperate with said harpbody bearing surfaces, the inner faces of said head slide project-ionsinterlocking with said angular outer faces, a gib between one of saidangular outer faces and one of said inner faces, there being a singlecircular bore through one of said head slide projcctionshaving its outeredge substantial- 1y at the edge of said projection, an annular blockhaving one beveled side, said block being positioned in said bore andfitting snugly therein,'and means extending through said slideforpulling said block toward the slide to cause said bevel on said block to'wedging- 1y grip the adjacent projection on said harp, the lengths ofsaid projections being such that hearing contact is attained betweenthose of the harp and slide.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afliX my signature.

